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| Sumita Pawar |
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Fourteen runners, including Coltrane and Eldar Eldarov, have been declared for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on Thursday.
Having won the Ascot Stakes a year ago, Coltrane, who is trained by Andrew Balding, has now become a prominent stayer.
The Battle For Ascot's Ultimate Prize
Last season, Coltrane caused an unexpected upset by defeating Trueshan in the Doncaster Cup but was later defeated by Trueshan on Champions Day at Ascot. However, Coltrane re-established his dominance by winning the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot last month and has since been the favorite to win the Gold Cup.
Renewing his rivalry with Wise Eagle, who finished as the runner-up in the Sagaro Stakes by Adam Nicol, and Trueshan, who finished fourth, will be on the agenda for him. Trueshan's trainer, Alan King, would have been pleased to see the rain arrive in Berkshire.
Eldar Eldarov, trained by Roger Varian, is also a previous Royal Ascot winner, having won the Queen's Vase last season. He went on to win the St Leger and finished second in the Yorkshire Cup this year.
Subjectivist, trained by Charlie Johnston, won the Gold Cup in 2021 but has faced some setbacks since then. He is now returning to try and win back his crown.
Battle Of The Jockeys: Gold Cup Contenders
Both Emily Dickinson and Broome will be ridden by Aidan O'Brien, who holds the record for winning the race eight times. Meanwhile, John and Thady Gosden's unbeaten four-year-old Courage Mon Ami will be ridden by Frankie Dettori in what will be his final Gold Cup before retirement. Yibir, trained by Charlie Appleby, and Echoes In Rain, trained by Willie Mullins, are also among the contenders in what looks to be a competitive renewal of the two-and-a-half-mile race.
On day three of the Royal meeting, the Group Two Norfolk Stakes will feature 15 other speedy juveniles alongside hot favourite Elite Status, who has won the race twice before under trainer Karl Burke. Among his competitors are American Rascal, the son of dual Royal Ascot winner Lady Aurelia, and No Nay Mets, ridden by Frankie Dettori.
After an impressive Listed victory at Goodwood, Al Asifah has been supplemented and is now the favourite for the Ribblesdale Stakes, which has 19 runners. Sir Michael Stoute's Infinite Cosmos and Ralph Beckett's Bluestocking are expected to be her main competitors.